Louisiana 15-Week Abortion Ban (SB 181)

State

Number

Status

Proposed

Full Bill Text

SB 181 prohibits a physician from performing an abortion after 15 weeks gestational age, except in the case of a medical emergency.

Anyone who performs an abortion in violation of this provision would face up to two years in prison and/or a $1,000 fine.

The bill provides that, if passed, the law would become effective upon any final decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upholding the Act that originated as HB 1510 of the 2018 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature, which decision would thereby provide the authority for a state within the jurisdiction of that court of appeals to restrict abortion past 15 weeks of gestational age.

Trigger Law

The law states that it would be repealed in favor of the state’s anti-abortion trigger law, where abortion in the state of Louisiana would be prohibited immediately upon a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the authority of states to prohibit elective abortions or by the adoption of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would restore the state’s authority to prohibit elective abortions.

On November 20, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Carlton Reeves permanently blocked Mississippi’s 15-week ban ruling the law is an unconstitutional ban on abortion prior to viability. This means SB 181 will not take effect.